Yuma (Ariz.) sports reporter

The Yuma Sun, an award-winning 20,000 circulation daily located on the Arizona/California/Mexico border, seeks a sports writer who is ready for the challenge of maintaining the excellent local sports coverage. The right candidate will be a talented journalist with a demonstrated ability to write and report. We'd like to find someone with two to three years of experience, but are willing to train recent college graduates. We do more than just write so you will be expected to occasionally design vibrant, reader-friendly pages, write clear and compelling headlines, be a sound editor of copy, and be able to shoot and edit video as we try to expand our online presence. You must be able to help execute a series of online sports initiatives and be able to work collaboratively with the other members of our newsroom. Our staff covers eight competitive high schools, a recently renovated dirt track that features auto races twice a month, the Yuma Scorpions, a North American Baseball League team and Arizona Western, one of the premier junior colleges in the Southwest. We also don't shy away from community sports, everything from 8-year-old MMA aces to 88-year-old golfers. Our region offers immediate access to off-roading, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting. Housing prices are reasonable. The Yuma Sun is owned by Freedom Communications Inc. We offer an exciting environment in which to continue to grow as a journalist and leader. We are a drug-free workplace and all applicants considered for employment must pass background check prior to commencing employment. Benefits include health care insurance, vacation and 401k. Pay range is $24,000 to $27,000 per year.
If you are up to the challenge, first go to http://media.yumasun.com/applyjob.php and fill out an application, then send us a letter about what makes you the best candidate. Let the letter reflect your writing style. Send it, your resume, and three to five clips to Human Resources Manager Justin Cook at 2055 S. Arizona Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364 or jcook@yumasun.com.

EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION AND SKILLS REQUIRED: 1. Journalism degree desirable, but related experience may substitute. 2. Ability to communicate fully in verbal and written English. Ability to communicate in Spanish not required but is a plus. 3. Ability to handle all tools of the position, including computers and computer programs. 4. Must have own transportation and current proof of insurance and valid Driver’s License. Must have reliable way to be contacted via telephone when not working.

NOTE: It was 109 in Yuma today. Supposed to be 115 later this week. So, as the saying goes, if you can't stand the heat....

STITCH I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN ARUND FOR AGES. I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE THAT HOUSING EATS UP MOST OF YOUR PAYCHECK. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO POINT OUT IS IF YOU GET A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO LIVE REALLY CHEAP, THE PAY WON'T BE AS BIG A DEAL.

WE ALL KNOW THAT JOURNALISM IS A LABOR OF LOVE. IF PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET RICH THEN YOU MADE A BIG MISTAKES

I found my paycheck much more comfortable when I wasn't being priced gouged for housing in a city that was terribly underbuilt from a housing standpoint. And, yes, from my understanding, Yuma is a bit cheaper than some other locations.

what do you guys consider bad? Pay sometimes has a lot to do with the area. If it's cheap to live there than pay sometimes is lower

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That's about what I made when I worked in Yuma.

It does not meet the cost of living.

There are people who will tell you that it does when you're interviewing.

They are dirty fucking liars who lie. The pay was bad. People took second jobs waiting tables or doing other random part-time jobs to feed themselves. This was considered normal.

Incomes in the area trend low but the cost of rent is higher than it should be because of the military bases in the area, and the hospital. Brings in transplants who can afford to pay more than the market would otherwise bear. You will probably need a roommate to live comfortably.

"Cheaper than other locations" is highly relative. Cost of living in Arizona overall is cheaper than places like California. But I live in Phoenix and have spent time in Tucson, and the cost of living there was not, to me, notably higher than the armpit of Yuma. Depending on where you're coming from your money might go farther, but not nearly as far as you expect or the bosses at The Sun claim it does.

There were a couple of people on staff when I worked there (U.S. citizens) who lived in Mexico and commuted through the port of entry every morning to save money. If you are a Spanish speaker, this is not a bad option.